When the Injury Didn’t Happen to Your Daughter… it still affects her.

When we think about sports injuries, our attention naturally goes to the athlete who got hurt.

We focus on recovery, rehabilitation, timelines, and getting them back into play.

But there’s another side of sports injuries we don’t talk about enough:
​The impact on the athletes who witnessed it.

Recently, I spoke with a former competitive athlete who reflected on witnessing a serious injury during practice as a teen. Emergency services arrived. Everything stopped. It was intense and frightening.

And then eventually… practice resumed.

No one really talked about it.

At the time, she didn’t fully realize the impact it had on her. But afterward, she noticed herself becoming more hesitant during certain plays. She stopped going as aggressively for situations she once would have instinctively chased.

Looking back now, she recognizes something important:
​Witnessing the injury changed the way her nervous system experienced the sport.

Even when an injury doesn’t happen directly to our daughters, their brains and bodies can still register the experience as scary, overwhelming, or unsafe.

Sometimes this can show up as:

• hesitation
• increased doubt or anxiety
• fear of getting hurt
• second-guessing themselves
• changes in confidence or performance
• becoming more cautious during play

And often, teen athletes don’t even fully understand why they’re feeling different.

One of the most supportive things we can do as parents, coaches, and adults is simply acknowledge the experience.

Something as simple as:
“That must have been scary to witness today.”
or
“What was that experience like for you?”

can help teen athletes feel safe enough to process what they saw rather than silently carrying it alone.

Emotional awareness is not weakness.
It’s part of building trust for healthy athletic development.

If you’re unsure how to support your athlete after witnessing an injury, or you’re noticing increased fear, hesitation, or changes in confidence afterward, I’d love to support the conversation.

This Week on Raising Resilient Teen Girls

Teen Daughter Witnessed a Sports Injury? How coaches and parents can support their athletes even when they are not the one directly hurt. Read Article

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